Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-12-07
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~ DKN YKRLEY PooRk
The New York Federal offices over
which there Vas aquarrel, which finally
drove Mr.. Conkling from political life
and defeated Mr.. Blaine's election ~
President. became . bone Of contention
soon after the Inauguration OF Presi-
dent Hayes John Sherman, then Sec
rotary OF the Treasury, made . decided
move BY removing Collector Arthur
afterwards Prssident) and Naval OH
o Cornell Gen. Merritt WAS nomi-
mated - collector, and the Committee
on Commerce, Of which MI. Couklin
was Chairman, wrote Secretary Sher-
man, asking why the change was made.
His reply was laid before the Senate
IN executive session, and it enclosed .
letter from Gen. Merritt, whose nomi-
nation was pending, which assumed to
give . statement Of the name in
which business was then transacted ut
the New York Custom House, in COM
parison TO the way it was done under
Gen. Arthur, the old Collector. The
Secretary, in his letter, referred ut
length to this letter of Merritt, and
made the old charges against Arthur,
TO the effect that he did not attend to
his business; that he arrived at his Of
fice late in the day; that he was not in
accord with the Treasury Department
and the general administration, and
that q change was desirable on many
other grounds Secretary Sherman
also gave the other reasons for remov-
ing Naval Officer Cornell, among them
being his failure to attend to his bust
ness, and his want Of cooperation with
the administration. Secretary Sherman
in his letter said he wrote ct the direc.
tion Of the President.
The preliminaries OF reading the let
ter being over, . very lively scene oc-
CURED. MI. Conkling made . speech
of over . h~alf-hour's length. He was
more severe on the President than dur
ing his fight for the rejection Of Roose-
welt and Prince the previous winter.
He repeatedly called the President by
name and denounced him in unmeas-
ured terms. He did not speak Of him
as the President, but as simply "Mr."
Hayes. He could not say what
prompted Nh. Hayes to persist in NOV
ing the best officers that had ever been
in New York, Is he was glad to say
that he was not one who was welcomed
at the Executive Mansion. As for Sec
rotary Sherman. his ~excoriation was
most bitter. Mr.. Conklings spoke of
him ~ "John" Sherman, and said that
the Senate knew who John Sherman
was and of his riches. He said John
Sherman would not dare to say what
he had said when he was in the Senate:
nor would he dare say what he had said
If Chester A. Arthur could have an
equal chance in the premises. His
illusions to John Shermsn's riches
were Enthusiastically intended to convey
the idea that his money was not hon.
estly acquired. The speech was in the
highest degree sensational, and it was
the bitterest ever delivered by Mr..
Conkling in either open or secret SEES
sion. It was not only bitter, but it was
abusive of both the President and Sec
Rotary of the Treasury.
At n point one of the Senators
made . parliamentary point that Nh.
Conkling was not speaking respectfully
Of the President.
"But / am speaking Of Mr.. Hayes"
he quickly answered.
The point being pressed, he said he
would not say anything more, the point
not having in reality been raised until
he had finished his speech.
vi. Thurman, with mock-gravity,
said he thought, inasmuch as q citizen
Of Ohio had been attacked, that he
ought to say something in reply, but
Conkling said he had merely been
speaking Of Mr.. Hayes Nobody at
tempted to answer the New York Sem
ator, and his speech was greeted with
evidence Of enjoyment on all sides.
Mr.. Thurman thought the letter of
Secretary Sherman should be printed
and made public, in order that the
parties accused should have . chance
to reply. Other Senators thought the
letter should be referred to the Com
mittes IN Commerce, of which Mr..
Conkling was Chairman. There was
considerable discussion as to what
should be done with the paper. and the
Senate seemed to be in . quandary.
To get rid Of the responsibility, Sena-
tor Saulsbury moved to adjourn. This
motion had the effect of testing the
strength of the administration and the
strength Of Mr.. Conkling. The latter
strongly opposed adjourning without
settling the subject. The vote was
nineteen to forty. and the Senate re-
fused to adjourn. Mr.. Edmunds moved
to refer the paper to the Committee on
Commerce for investigation il the CON-
mittee should deem it necessary, and to
summon Arthur and Cornell to give
their cases in opposition to the one pre-
sented by Secretary Sherman. This
motion was finally carried.
When George G. Gorham closed his
accounts a. Secretary and distributing
officer of the Senate, in 1877, after
eleven years service, it was found at
the Department that there was / cent
owing him. In an official letter, which
had to be copied, recorded. numbered,
etc, the United States Treasurer noti-
fled Gorham Of the balance on settle
ment, and requested that he would
draw his check for the amount. With
the same precision as though Q million
dollars was at stake, the check was
drawn. A messenger conveyed it to
the Treasury. The books were searched
TO see il tho amount was to Gorham's
credit, and then the cent was paid-a
great big copper one-which Gorham
proposed to keep for luck evermore. It
seemed that had he not drawn the bal
ance II would have gone on forever
among the liabilities Of the Treasury,
and ~occasioned any amount of trouble
to tho clerks.
Senator James jackson, Of Georgia,
fought . bloody duel before he cam to
Washington. He was An Englishman
by birth, but he came to Savannah
when . lad. studied law, was i leading
Frsemason, and fought CALAMITY in the
Revolutionary War. He killed Lieut.
Gov. Wells in 1850 in . duel, and was
engaged in several other affairs Of
honor" until he finally determined to
accept . challenge on such terms as
would make it his last duel. So he